The Doral-Ryder Open attracted a record 53,000
spectators for Sunday's final day (MIAMI HERALD, 3/9)....In
honor of its 50th birthday, NASCAR will hold "NASCAR's Night
in Hollywood -- A Golden Celebration," a black tie affair
May 1 to honor the league's founders and heroes. ESPN will
air the event the following night, May 2, as a two-hour,
prime-time special (NASCAR)....In Dallas, Steve Davis
reported that there are only 2.5 million tickets available
to the World Cup, "about 1 million fewer than at USA '94."
Each country gets 8% of the stadium's capacity, which leaves
the U.S. delegation about 2,500-3,000 tickets. Davis added
that "even the media have felt the bite of limited tickets."
The French Organizing committee gave U.S. Soccer about 50
media credentials to distribute (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/8).

The financial impact of the NCAA Tournament was
examined by CNN/SI's Bob Lorenz. The NCAA projects $17.1M
of gross revenue will be produced by this year's tournament,
$600,000 "more than last year." Lorenz also noted how
tournament exposure benefits schools: "Connecticut [UConn]
is a perfect example of a program that developed into a
national power by becoming an NCAA Tournament regular." In
'88, the year UConn won the NIT, "the school netted less
than $20,000 in merchandise sales." Heading into its
seventh NCAA tournament of the '90s, UConn's "net licensing
revenue" now is more than $500,000 annually" (CNN, 3/7).
HOCKEY: In Boston, Will McDonough wrote that the NCAA
hockey tournament at the FleetCenter will be the "biggest
... of all time." All three games are sold out, including
both the afternoon and night games on April 2 (BOSTON GLOBE,
3/8). ESPN will offer cable and satellite subscribers the
first round and nat'l quarterfinal games of the NCAA Hockey
Championship Tournament on a pay-per-view basis March 27-29.
Suggested retail will be $29.95 for the complete eight-game
package, and $14.95 for all games on any date (ESPN).